China’s Tianjin Pipe Corp. (TPCO) broke ground recently on a Gregory, Texas, $1.3-billion pipe manufacturing plant, which represents the largest investment in a manufacturing facility in the U.S., the company claims.

“This is a very large market for seamless pipe, and [TPCO] saw an opportunity here given the proximity to what is a quickly expanding oil-and-gas production market,” says Leah Olivarri, spokeswoman for TPCO America, the firm’s U.S. arm. The plant will produce about 500,000 metric tons of “oil country tubular goods” (OTCG), which are used in oil and gas drilling processes. Most of the pipe will measure between four inches and 103/4 in. in dia. The company plans to add lines designed for shale-gas production.